R.I. lands $1M grant from Labor Department for worker training

Rhode Island is set to receive a $1.06 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of $58 million in funding awarded to 30 states for expanded training for dislocated workers, the agency announced Wednesday.

WASHINGTON – Rhode Island is set to receive a $1.06 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of $58 million in funding awarded to 30 states to expanded training for dislocated workers, the agency announced Wednesday.

The grants, administered through the Dislocated Worker Training National Emergency Grants, will support on-the-job training, customized training, registered apprenticeships and other services designed to connect potential workers with employers.

“While economic conditions continue to improve across the country, millions of workers still face barriers in returning to work,” acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris said in prepared remarks. “These federal funds will strengthen the capacity of the states’ workforce investment systems to deliver critical work-based learning and training to thousands of unemployed Americans.”

States applied for the one-time funding in May and were asked to prioritize training efforts on workers who have been unemployed for 27 or more weeks and those likely to soon exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits.

The funding is “in recognition of high number of long-term unemployed individuals and the continuing negative impacts of widespread, small layoffs across the country,” according to the Labor Department release, which defined dislocated workers as workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own – such as layoffs from a permanent closure of an office or plant.

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